Apparatus for gauging glassware



United States Patent APPARATUS FOR GAUGING GLASSWMIE Pearson T. Menoher, Oakland, and Kazimer A. Strzala,

Walnut Creek, Calif., assignors to Owens'lllinois Company, a corporation of Ohio Application April 19, 1955, Serial No. 502,367

4 Claims. (Cl. 200-6152) The present invention relates to apparatus for gauging glassware and more particularly is a device for detecting certain types of imperfections in glass containers, such as bottles, jars and other articles of like general formation. Specifically, the invention pertains to an apparatus for detecting the presence on a ware conveyor of bottles, or such articles of glassware, in which the neck or shoulder portions are tilted or deformed in such manner that the end sealing surface, or rim, defining the mouth of the container lies in a plane other than normal to the major axis of the bottle, or such container and therefore out of parallelism with the bottom of such container.

In the production of glass bottles and jars, especially where the bottles are formed with relatively long neck portions, the latter occasionally lean or tilt away from the proper normal position during the passage through intense heat within the annealing lehr. In some instances, either the shoulder or neck portions of glass containers sag to such extent during the annealing operation, that the sealing surface, or rim, at the upper end of the neck is so far removed from a plane normal to the major axis of the article that it would be exceedingly difficult to automatically fill the container with the product and perhaps impossible to apply a sealing cap or closure thereto, either manually or mechanically. In the event such ware is not removed, it is highly probable that the filler tube may be broken or so distorted that it must be replaced or perhaps the bottles themselves will be broken incident to an attempt to place closures thereon. Thus, it is apparent that removal of such defective glassware at the place of manufacture not only is desirable but mandatory, to the end that the customer packer will not be faced with the necessity for selecting out imperfect ware, or possibly as an alternative, having his filling and capping line closed down from time to time because of the delivery of undetected defective bottles to the filler and capper.

The present invention has for an object the provision of novel, simple and effective means for overcoming all of the foregoing objections and insuring that articles of glassware which do not meet certain specifications will be detected so that they can be either manually or mechanically removed from a conveyor line or the like carrier.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a novel gauging apparatus which can be adjusted quite easily, as required by particular specifications established to determine the permissible maximum tilting or abnormal positioning of the neck or sealing surface of a given line of containers.

Other objects will be in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus embodying our invention;

apparent and in part 2,809,245 Patented Oct. 8, 1957 Fig. 2 is a detailed fragmentary sectional elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the tilt plate unit in its normal position with the electric switch contacts open.

The illustrated embodiment of our invention (Fig. 1) is shown mounted upon a bracket so that it is positioned directly over a conveyor 11 or the like support 1 for bottles B, or similar articles. A guide rail 12 may be positioned along side of the conveyor 11 for obvious reasons.

As has been pointed out above, bottles, jars and the like articles of glassware frequently become distorted during their passage through the conventional annealing lehr and very often the distortion is sufiicient to cause excessive tilting of the neck portion or perhaps sagging of the shoulders with the result that it is difiicult if not impossible to fill and cap the containers mechanically and automatically, if at all. It is apparent that the distortion may be of a nature to sufficiently off-set the neck opening in relation to the axis of the body portion that the filling tube (not shown) cannot enter the neck opening, and in fact, may strike the edge or rim of the neck and become bent or broken as a result. Additionally, as is apparent, even if the bottle or such container can be filled, capping may be impossible because of the position that has been assumed by the rim or top sealing surface of the container.

According to our invention, as illustrated, any defect of the above character which is of a sufficiently serious nature to present real ditliculties in filling and capping, will be detected before the containers have reached the packing station in the manufacturing plant. The apparatus involved, in its broadest aspects, comprises a tilt plate unit in which a tilt plate or disc normally is disposed in a horizontal plane parallel to the wall forming the bottom end of the bottle, jar or such container, but is free to tilt when lowered into contact to the upper end of a bottle or jar in which the top sealing surface is out of parallelism with the bottom wall to an excessive degree. lncidentto such tilting of the disc, or tilt plate a predetermined distance, an electrical circuit is closed and a signal device (not shown) of conventional or any preferred form will be operated and the defective article can then be removed manually or automatically in response to closing of such circuit. Provision is made for adjusting the spacing of the electrical contacts to the end that the apparatus may be set so as to detect only those articles which are outside of the specifications that have been established for any particular article of glassware. It is obvious that if the abnormal positioning of the neck or finish is within certain limits the article is commercially usable.

The specific apparatus, as illustrated, comprises a sup. porting rod 13 suspended from and separably connected to a piston motor 14 and at its lower end is connected through a swivel 15 to a tilt plate unit 16. A frusto-conical electrical contact member 17 is threaded upon the rod 13, said member being tapered downwardly and inwardly and at its upper end being formed with a radial flange 18 which carries a set screw 19. Between the inner end of the set screw 19 and the threaded rod is a nylon plug 20 which is so placed to prevent any direct contact between the inner end of the set screw and the threaded rod, yet permit the set screw to lock the contact member 17 against accidental displacement. A lock nut 21 immediately above the contact member 17 provides additional insurance against displacement of the contact member 17.

The aforementioned tilt plate unit 16 comprises a base 22 having a central axial opening 22a therethrough in which the swivel connection is arranged. This swivel connection is a ball bearing unit comprising inner and outer rings spaced apart, the inner ring resting upon the head 23 of a bearing pin 24. This pin is fitted into an axial bore in the lower end of the supporting rod 13 and is held therein by means of a cotter pin 25. This swivel or bearing is of the so-called self-aligning type in consequence of which it normally holds the tilt plate unit so that said base plate is in a horizontal plane. Attached to the lower side of this base plate 22, by means of one or more screws 26 is the tilt plate or disc 27. Preferably this tilt plate or disc is formed from a suitable plastic material which will not damage in any way the glass or such material with which this plate is brought into contact in performing its function. Secured to the upper side of the base plate 22 is a bearing retainer plate 28 which overlies a portion of the outer ring of the swivel connection 15, thereby holding the base plate 22, tilt 27, and rod 13, in assembled relationship.

An electrical contact carrying collar 29 is secured to and extends upwardly from the aforementioned plates, this collar including a radial flange 3% at its lower end which is secured by one or more screws 31 to the base plate 22. The collar is also formed with a pair of diametrically opposed openings 32 which permit access to the interior so that the aforementioned cotter pin may be removed and replaced quite easily. t the upper end of this collar 29 a ring-type electrical contact 33 is mounted, such contact being electrically insulated from the collar by means of an annular ring 34 of insulated material.

As shown in Fig. 3, the inner upper corner of this collar is cut away to accommodate the insulating ring 34. At one point in its circumference, the collar is notched to accommodate a block 35 of insulating material which is secured in place by means of a screw 36, the latter being anchored at its inner end in the electrical contact 33. To this screw 36 there is attached an electrical conductor 37. A second electrical conductor 38 is attached to the aforementioned screw 31. Owing to the illustrated relative positioning of the two electrical contact members 17 and 33, it is apparent that these parts function as an electric switch which is normally open but closes incident to tilting of the unit 16, a suflicient and predetermined distance.

As has been pointed out above, normally the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 3 due to the self-aligning characteristics of the swivel connection 15 with the result that the contact members 17 and 33 are spaced apart. The piston motor 14 is operated at regular time intervals so that each time a bottle, jar or such article is positioned beneath it, the unit will be lowered sufficiently to bring the tilt plate into contact with the upper end of the article. If, as indicated in Fig. 2, the upper end of the article is sofar removed from a true horizontal plane that it is out side of the established specifications and would therefore present a serious problem to the packer in filling and/ or capping, the tilt plate assumes such position as to effect closing of the electrical circuit and operation of a signal or other device which will either call an operators attention to the defective bottle or preferably actuate mechanism which will automatically remove the defective bottle from the conveyor.

It is apparent also that adjustment of the frusto-conical contact member axially, on its supporting rod 13, may be necessary from time to time as required by the kinds and dimensions of the ware being produced and tested. This is accomplished by loosening the set screw 19 and lock nut 21 and rotating the contact member 17 on its supporting rod until the desired spacing between the contact members has been effected. Thereupon the set screw 19 and lock nut 20 are tightened to secure the contact member in its proper adjusted position.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a tilt plate unit comprising a disc having its axis normally disposed vertically, means for moving said plate unit axially downward into contact with the upper end of a glass container or article of like formation, the latter being positioned with its bottom wall disposed in a plane normal to said vertical axis, electric circuit closing means adapted to be actuated in response to a predetermined degree of tilting of said plate unit relative to its normal vertical axis, the electric circuit closing means comprising a vertical rod disposed coaxially with the disc of said tilt plate unit, means providing a swivel connection between the lower end of the rod and said tilt plate unit, a frusto-conical electrical contact member mounted upon said rod, a ringtype electrical contact member rigidly connected to said plate unit and positioned to encircle the frusto-conical member in spaced relation to the latter and a pair of electrical conductors, one of said conductors being connected to said ring-type contact member while the other conductor is connected indirectly to the frusto-conical contact member.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, together with means for adjusting the position of the frusto-conical contact member axially of the rod whereby to vary the spaced relationship between the two contact members.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a tilt plate unit comprising a disc having its axis normally disposed vertically, means for moving said plate unit axially downward into contact with the upper end of a glass container or article of like formation, the latter being positioned with its bottom Wall disposed in a plane normal to said vertical axis, electric circuit closing means adapted to be actuated in response to a predetermined degree of tilting of said plate unit relative to its normal vertical axis, a collar forming a part of the tilt plate unit, a supporting rod disposed coaxially with the disc and projecting into the collar and swivel connection between the tilt plate unit and lower end of the supporting rod, the electric circuit closing means comprising a frusto-conical contact member mounted upon said rod and a ring-type contact carried by but insulated from the holder and positioned to encircle a portion of said frusto-conical contact member in spaced relation to the latter.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a tilt plate unit comprising a disc having its axis normally disposed vertically, means for moving said plate unit axially downward into contact with the upper end of a glass container or article of like formation, the latter being positioned with its bottom wall disposed in a plane normal to said vertical axis, electric circuit closing means adapted to be actuated in response to a predetermined degree of tilting of said plate unit relative to its normal vertical axis, a collar forming a part of the tilt plate unit, a supporting rod disposed coaxially with the disc and projecting into the collar, swivel connection between the tilt plate unit and lower end of the supporting rod, the electric circuit closing means comprising a frusto-conical contact member mounted upon said rod and a ring-type contact carried by but insulated from the holder and positioned to encircle a portion of said frusto-conical contact member in spaced relation to the latter and means for adjusting the frusto-conical contact member axially upon the supporting rod to thereby change the spaced relationship between said contact memher and the ring-type contact member.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,084,155 Lochman Jan. 13, 1914 1,716,373 Ellis June 11, 1929 1,772,540 Fowler Aug. 12, 1930 2,575,227 Morcom Nov. 13, 1951 

